The Characters In Our Stories
by Tauriel the Mockingjay
Summary: Anna Felicity Lancaster loved her life. Writing stories, reading, and having a wonderful family. Even though she never knew her dad and only knew her mom for five minutes, she's felt like she had everything she ever wanted. When she goes to a Support Group her mom is in charge of and meets James Augustus she feels an adventure-like ones from her stories-beginning to form.
1. Chapter 1

_**No Copyright intended. Any lines from TFIOS are John Green's and John Green's alone. This is just a fanfic I wrote for fun. This is just a crazy idea I came up with a while ago so take it easy with the criticism! **_

My name is Anna Felicity Lancaster, and my life is fairly normal (You may have already gotten that from the Summary though ;-) ).

My real parents are dead, I'll just say that now. They went on this big trip to Amsterdam one spring and had sex (Okay, a little weird to throw out there, but that's how it happened). About five weeks after they got back my mom found about that she was pregnant. She didn't tell my dad though because he was kind of dying. I mean, what to you say? "Hey! Guess what else you can't have 'cause you're dying? A baby! I'm pregnant!" (Sucks I know) She didn't even tell her parents until after my dad died. She got depressed after his death but then one day remembered to tell them. I know all this because when she found out she started this diary in case she died before my first birthday. Her parents took it somewhat well (Not as well as she would have hoped, but they didn't scream their heads off or throw stuff so that's a bonus!), and the next day they went to see a doctor. She said that having a baby would be insanely risky and the best option was to terminate the pregnancy. My mom walked out of the room and when she came back in she said she was willing to take that risk. When they got home they sat on the couch and watched TV. Her mom turns down the volume and turns to her.

"Hazel, are you sure you want to go through with this?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Why?" asked her dad.

"Because this baby is all I have left of Augustus other than my memories. It's a piece of him and a piece of me. Besides, you'll get to stay at being parents. Unless you're too old."

"Hazel, we're not _that_ old yet. I'm sure we could handle it." her dad smirked.

"We don't know how long I'll have anyway even if I get rid of the baby. I could still die that month. I'm willing to take the risk." she replied.

"Then we're with you, Hazel." said her mom.

So I was born and got to know my mom for five minutes, but it was still enough time for her to know she made the right choice.

I lived with my grandparent who I never called my grandparents. I called my grandma Ma and my grandpa Da. Even at sixteen I stuck with it. I did call my dad's parents Grandma and Grandpa. My mom told them about me three months after telling her parents. They took it well and were excited.

I spent most days going to school. Writing my own stories. And babysitting to make some extra money. Reading was another favorite activity. For three months I even volunteered at Children's Hospital, the same one my mom went to.

And that was my life.

One day, Ma knocked on my door and entered holding her shoulder bag that she took to this Support Group that she led.

"You want to come?" she asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine here. Two of my characters just admitted they liked each other right before running of into battle to save the kingdom!" I said typing away at my laptop like a madman.

She went over to my self and grabbed my mom's old stuffed bear Bluie. She warned me that Ma would probably do this if she felt sad or was about to give a short lecture.

"Anna, you need to get out. You haven't done much since Sarah died." she replied.

Sarah was this ten year old girl at Children's who I visited. That's for another chapter though.

"Mom," I groaned. "I'm fine just staying home."

"You loved helping people like these." she urged.

"I'll just be sitting there awkwardly while other kids talk about Cancer like, "Yeah, I'm the outsider who doesn't have Cancer and I'm just here to remind you that you do and you should envy me!" It sounds embarrassing and depressing!" Truth was that my mom also mentioned in her diary that she went to Support Group and it was horrible!

"Please, just come." she urged again.

I groaned and shut down my laptop and rolled out of bed. I wasn't even wearing nice clothes. I had a tear in my old jeans right on the hip and I had a chocolate stain on the sky blue tank top I wore. I just threw on a navy jacket and slipped on my tennis shoes and went out the door with my Ma and my mom's old book that she and my dad bonded over.

Is it weird to be named after a favorite character in a book? I sure hope not! That's how my mom named me. Anna is the main character in _An Imperial Affliction, _the book she recommended to my dad before they dated and they both loved. Since I was a little bit of her and a little bit of him she thought it appropriate.

When she was little there was this American Girl doll named Felicity that she had and there was even a movie made based on the doll's stories (The actress kinda looked like my mom when she was little). She was mom's best friend for years before she sold her in a garage sale (She got two hundred for her!) when she was thirteen (Before she was diagnosed).

I read _AIA_ on the way there. There were some words I had trouble pronouncing (Shut up!), but I still loved every word. There was an orange tulip in the front that was pressed. My mom explained that my dad had given her a whole bouquet of them before telling her he was using his Wish so they would meet the author of _AIA _in Amsterdam. I kept the tulip there except when I went out and took the book with me. Then I put it in one of my favorite books called _Hope Never Dies_.

"We're here." said Ma parking in front of a church.

"Can't I just stay in the car and read? I'm just gonna be sitting there anyway."

"Anna, you might find this nice. Not to mention that you don't have many friends." she pointed out.

"Because all the kids at school have the same opinion on parents."

"Which is?"

"They take them for granted!" I replied.

It was true. I met this one girl named Sam who invited me to her house. She never spoke to her parents and she ran away from home a lot. Her parents were very nice and good people, she just thought they were being unfair when they didn't give her things. I never spoke to her again.

"Maybe you might find some kids here who are worth your friendship." she said elbowing me, "I should know, you're a great friend."

I rolled my eyes playfully and got out of the car with her, once she grabbed these store bought Sugar Cookies from the back we started towards the church. Our car was the only car in the parking lot. We took the stairs into the basement where there were plastic kid chairs in a circle. The only one that wasn't a kid chair was the one my Ma sat in. She set out the snacks on the table that was out and I sat in this kid chair closest to hers. I knew Peter Van Houten-the author of _AIA_-was a douchebag, but I still loved his book. It was so well written and sounded like it really was Anna who wrote it instead of a drunken bastard.

A while later, more people started showing up and it was time to start. My Ma gave her little talk on how we are all the same and that we are all fighters even though we don't know it or feel like it. While she talked I noticed a boy I knew from school was here and next to him was a boy who would try to catch my eyes every time.

Then people started to introduce themselves and say how old they were and what their illness was and how they were doing.

"I'm James," said the boy when it came to him. "I have a problem with my lungs incase you couldn't tell." He messed with his cannula. "I'm eighteen years old and besides the illness that very well may kill me I'm a perfect specimen of awesomeness."

I laughed a little. But not enough for everyone to hear. Then everyone said, "We're here for you James." In this dead sounding tone that didn't sound like any of us meant it.

James had blonde hair in a buzz cut that didn't suit him. There are many types of boys, some of them look good in a buzz cut and it works with their facial features, other however look terrible with them and would be better with their hair a little bushier. James was one of those boys. His eyes were hazel that made me shiver for some reason. I never knew a boy could make me shiver.

"I'm Harry, I'm sixteen years old and I have leukemia. I could say I'm doing well but I'm not and a lot of us aren't and just say we're doing okay because we want to feel like fighters, also we don't want people to feel sorry for us." Harry looked at me when he said that.

"Well, now that we've introduced ourselves-"

"What about her?" asked James pointing to me, "She never introduced herself. If she's here she should join in on our depressing talk of Cancer and Illness' and our struggle through life as lonely beings."

"No I'm-"

"Anna, go ahead." Ma whispered.

I shot her a "Thanks-a-lot" look and stood. "I'm Anna and I'm sixteen. I'm just here at the recommendation of my mother (I didn't know exactly which mother I was talking about)."

"And how are you?" asked Harry.

I hated having all eyes on me. "I'm grand. I'm on a roller coaster that only goes up my friend."

I had remembered my mom saying that my dad said that at his first Support Group, when he won her over and turn her on.

Then everyone started talking about their fight and what it's like and how a lot of it sucks. Then everyone talked about their fears. Of course, my Ma just had to include me since James had pointed out at the beginning that I should be a part of it.

"Anna, what are your fears?" she asked.

"Wasps and Bees." I said bluntly thinking of the first thing that came to mind. I have always had a deadly fear of them since I was eleven.

"Not death?" James had an eyebrow arched.

"The pain before it yes, but pain is inevitable. It demands to be felt." I replied, "As for death itself I'd have to say no."

"Why are girls like you so damn hard to find?" he asked.

"Because we hide in plain sight. Waiting for your kind to look upon us and think, "Crap, that girl is the girl of my dreams!"." I replied.

He started laughing and some of the other kids laughed, mostly the girls since it's true. Men don't know what's right in front of them half the time.

After that everyone bowed their heads to pray and we finished praying we didn't say that stupid thing my mom had to say. We all said, "Let our courage inspire the world to do better and be better!" My Ma made it up. Then James walked over to me, but not to close so I could get out of my chair without hitting his head with mine.

"You going to tell me your name or do I have to ask?" he asked

"You don't remember? It wasn't that long ago that my mom said it (I didn't want to call her Ma in front of some strange boy)." I replied.

"I remember, I want to know your full name."

"Why?"

"I like full names. Why would our parents give us a middle name if they didn't want us to use it?" he replied.

I nodded. He had a point, even though I knew the real reason. "Anna Felicity Lancaster."

"A pleasure to meet you, Anna Felicity. My name is James Augustus Carson." He said taking my hand and kissing it.

I giggled to hide my reaction to the name Augustus. Then I gently wacked him. He laughed.

"Hey dude!" said Harry coming over after talking to a girl, "Guess what? That chick, April agreed to go to the movies!"

James turned to me again. "He's been trying to get her to notice him since the first Support Group."

"Well congrads!" I replied holding out my hand, "Anna."

"Harry." He replied shaking it and turning to James, "I need your help to get ready for this thing. I have no clue what to wear or how to amaze her."

"Okay." He replied turning to me again, "See you again?"

"Possibly, or maybe I might go back to hiding under my rock of isolation where you'll never find me again." I replied smirking, "That's another thing. If you find a girl that's normally so damn hard to find you have to be careful or they'll get away."

"Good point." He replied and quickly grabbed a small notebook from his back pocket, "What's your phone number?"

"Anna, we have to go!" said Ma waving me over.

"I have to go." I replied reaching into my back pocket and inconspicuously dropped a piece of paper that had my e-mail address. I had for emergencies, but I figured that leaving a boy with no way to contact me or unsure he'd ever see me again was to cruel a fate.

I joined Ma in front of the elevator and looked back. James picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. I smiled as I walked up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Uncle Isaac **

Once we got home I went to my room and looked in the mirror. I had my dad's mahogany hair and my mom's green eyes. I wasn't very skinny either. My jeans looked pretty tight on me at times.

"What in the name of Van Houten does that boy see in me?" I said aloud to myself.

I then put _AIA_ on my bed and pulled out my laptop to get back to my story.

The title is one I cannot say in case I publish it. The plot is these two kids fall through a hole and end of in a world beyond belief! They must work together to try and survive and to save the world from evil forces.

My main characters Jacob and Arya. Jacob has blue hair, it was blonde until he fell unto some strange water and it became blue, his eyes are as blue as his hair. The only thing of his that isn't blue is his skin. He loves dragons. As for Arya, she has red hair and violet eyes. She loves horses (Everyone needs a random fact).

"Anna?" said Ma knocking on my door.

"Come in." I said as I typed liked crazy as Jacob got stabbed.

"Anna, guess who coming over for dinner?" she asked with her guess-what-holiday-we're-going-to-celebrate-for-no-reason voice.

"The Senator." I replied bluntly.

"Nope." She said sounding even more excited.

"Peter Van Houten?"

"UNCLE ISAAC AND AUNT SOPHIE!" she practically screamed.

Uncle Isaac wasn't my real uncle and Aunt Sophie wasn't my real aunt. Isaac was my mom and dad's best friend. He became blind before my dad died and had been that way for sixteen years and counting. He met Sophie at Support Group before my Ma took over. He asked my mom to tell him what she looked like, all he knew was that she had this voice that was so beautiful he thought it was birds. Then they started dating (He always made this joke that he literally went on a _blind date_) and soon enough he proposed to her. They got married when they were twenty two and I was twelve, I think. I remember being the Jr. Bridesmaid.

"Awesome! When are they coming?"

"In about twenty minutes so I better go work on dinner. They're bringing the kids too." She said before leaving and shutting the door behind her.

They had twins who were both one year old. Let me think, they're now thirty three? Yeah, thirty three. Uncle Isaac's number one job was being a Blind Married Man for years. Then I guess they decided they wanted kids even though he couldn't see them so they had twins named Grace-after my mom-and Wilson-after Sophie's brother.

I combed my hair a little better and then checked my e-mail. I never have to look good for Uncle Isaac, just Aunt Sophie. I could be wearing pink pajamas with bunny slippers and he wouldn't care.

I saw there was a new e-mail from "I'm a survivor at ". I clicked it.

**Cinderella, **

** Will you be at Support Group again? When can I see you?**

** -Prince Awesomeness.**

I laughed and then started typing up an interesting reply.

**Prince Awesomeness,**

** You can't love a girl you just met. I don't know all that much about you. **

** I'm afraid you must tell me something about you before I can say.**

** -The Author.**

After I sent it I received a reply in all most an instant.

**The Author,**

** My favorite color is green. I have a fear of lightening that I have never told**

** anyone. I have two little sisters named Cassie and Lily who are nine and five.**

** I have a romantic relationship beyond measure with apple pie. **

** I go to a school where everyone is so busy trying to impressing each other that **

** it's like none of them have their own minds or personalities. **

** My favorite book is ****_Bravery_****. I love the ****_Lord Of The Rings_**** trilogy.**

** I hope those little facts are enough to win your favor and the chance to see **

** you again.**

** -Prince Awesomeness. **

I gave in. They were random fact, but they were good ones. I decided then I wanted to get to know him better. I gave him my address and told him to meet me at three-o-clock pm tomorrow in front of my house. After sending it I closed my laptop.

"Anna, did you remember to feed Britt and Sisyphus?" I heard Ma call from the kitchen even though she didn't have to, we have thin walls.

"No, doing it now though!" I called back as I got up.

Britt was my Netherlands Dwarf rabbit. She was five years old-in rabbit years-and was a beautiful brown. Almost like a wild rabbit. I got her when I was eleven, I was being bullied and was pushed into the rusty old slide. I got a cut across my neck that bled like crazy. My choir teacher Miss Green took me to the hospital and called my parents. I got stiches and for doing so well they promised me a rabbit.

Sisyphus was the hamster Ma and Da got me for my thirteenth birthday. I first read _AIA_ after I turned twelve and was given my mom's diary. She recommended it and told me about the author. Sisyphus was three years old and was cream colored. He was pretty old, but sometimes acted like he wasn't.

I went outside to Britt's hutch. She started hopping around and then went over to her bowl and pushed it to the door. I opened the door and grabbed the bowl, after closing the door again I scooped out a cup and put it in her bowl. Then I opened the door and put the bowl in her cage. Before she started eating she licked my arm with her small rough tongue. Her hutch was in this little spot where my mom had this childhood swing set that she and my dad got rid of before going to Amsterdam. I kept Britt's food and a tote with a lid right next to her hutch.

I then went inside to the garage where Sisyphus was. He was fast asleep in his little wheel.

"Hey Sisyphus." I greeted as I opened the cage, "Dinner time."

His eyes perked up. He lifted his head and ran over to the door which I had closed before he reached it. I scooped out some food for him then put it in his cage. He started eating like he hadn't eaten in five days. I laughed and closed the cage door as he jumped onto the wheel again, but this time to run on it.

"Anna, they're here!" I heard my Da call.

I ran out of the garage and into the house. Da was at the front door with it wide open and Ma was still in the kitchen fixing a salad. I joined Da at the front door, Aunt Sophie had both the car seats in each hand as well as the diaper bag on her shoulder and Uncle Isaac was walking ahead with his stick feeling around in front of him. When he reach the front door his stick hit my Da's leg.

"Nice to not see you Mr. Lancaster." said Uncle Isaac holding out his left hand.

Da rolled his eyes and took it. "Always a pleasure, Isaac."

"Hey Uncle Isaac." I said standing on my tip toes like I would when I was little and he came over.

"I hear a grown woman's voice, but where's little Anna's voice?" he asked.

I punched his arm. He laughed and hugged me. Then Aunt Sophie came to the door and Da led Isaac out of the way and they walked into the living room.

"Hi Anna." She said after setting down the twins and hugging me.

"Hi Aunt Sophie." I replied unbuckling Wilson and picking him up.

His little green eyes shone with excitement. He giggled as I walked into the kitchen and held him in my arms.

"Is that little Willy?" asked my Ma in baby talk as she walked over and took him out of my arms.

"It sure is." said Aunt Sophie carrying Grace in.

Then they started talking about babies and messing they've had to clean up. I left before I heard the embarrassing story from when I was being potty trained when I was four. I went into the living room and joined Uncle Isaac and Da as they talked about wives and kids. Uncle Isaac was a stay at home dad and Aunt Sophie worked at a local bank.

"So, is Anna starting to look more like Gus or Hazel?" asked Uncle Isaac sitting on the couch.

I put a finger to my lips so Da wouldn't mention my being there.

"She's a Hazel with Gus's hair only longer." He replied sitting in a chair across from the couch, but not in front exactly so those on the couch could see the TV.

"Wow, I'm imagining Gus with really long hair. It's not a pretty sight I'll tell you!"

I the burst out laughing. I had seen pictures of my dad, and the idea with long hair was a nightmare.

"You little sneak!" Uncle Isaac fake scolded, "Don't you know never to sneak up on a blind man?"

"Um, no." I replied.

"Well don't."

We both laughed and Uncle Isaac motioned for me to sit on the couch next to him. I moved over to the couch and he put his arm over my shoulder. Uncle Isaac had a small black beard and his hair was combed neatly. He wore these big sunglass that covered his eyes. When I was little I'd try to look at a certain angle to try and see behind them.

"So how's school and the rest of life?"

"Okay?" I replied, "Working on another story and I went with Ma to Support Group 'cause she wanted me to come."

I was pretty honest with Uncle Isaac. Since he knew my parents really well I'd ask him a question and he'd tell me how my mom or dad would answer it.

"What?! How many stories are you working on at once, a million?! Soon enough you'll take over the world with your stories!" He asked looking fake terrified, "As for the Support Group thing," He put his arm over my shoulder again and looked more serious. "What did you ever do to her?"

I burst out laughing. "I didn't want to, but she made me."

"Support Group will always be depressing. I don't know why she did that."

"It wasn't that bad." said Ma coming in carrying Wilson with Aunt Sophie behind her carrying Grace, "After all, I saw Anna talking with a boy."

Everyone said Oo at the same sounding interested. When Uncle Isaac made kissy noises I elbowed him in the ribs.

"Who is he?" asked Da.

"Just some boy I met." I replied simply like it wasn't a big deal, which it wasn't.

"Come on, entertain this poor blind man's ears. Who is he?" asked Uncle Isaac.

"His name is James, eighteen, and not much else." I replied shrugging.

"His condition is the same as Hazel's." my Ma put in.

No one said something for a moment after that. It was quiet until Wilson started crying.

"Isaac, did you change his diaper before we left?" asked Aunt Sophie as my Ma tried to get him to be quiet.

"I thought I did, or was it Grace?" He said not sure which child's diaper he changed.

"I'll take care of it." I said standing up and walking over to Ma.

I took him from her and went to the front door to get the diaper bag. Then I went to dining room table and laid out everything. I knew that the grown-ups would want to talk alone. After all, they were only ever quiet for a long amount of time after mentioning my dad or my mom because they wanted to talk about them, but they didn't want me to get hurt or whatever.

As I changed Wilson I remembered a time when I was eight. We had our family fun day where we'd do what my Da wants, then my Ma, and then me. First we went bowling, then Ma wanted to visit mom and dad's grave so we went to the cemetery. Before I was born mom wanted to be buried next to Augustus. She and Da went up to the place picked it out. So whenever we visited we got to see their graves side by side.

When we stood there I held my Ma's hand and rest my head against her arm.

"Is it bad I don't miss them?" I asked.

"I don't know, why?" asked Ma.

"I never even knew dad for a second, and mom I only knew for a few minutes. It's not enough memory too really miss them. The more memory I have of someone the easier it is to miss them." I explained.

"Very true, and very smart." said Da taking my other hand, "I don't think it's bad."

"I do wish I got to know them a little bit." I sighed.

"Maybe someday." said Ma giving me the bouquet of daisies we brought.

I let go of their hand and put half on dad's grave and half on mom's. "I hope you both like daisies. I don't know if you do or not, I just have to hope."

I remembered Ma and Da's sad smiles after I went back over to them. Then we went to the mall to go to the Disney Store-which is what I wanted to do.

After changing Wilson I picked him up and held him so his head was resting on my shoulder. Then I held him in front of me…big mistake. He puked all over the front of my shirt. What's worse was that it looked like peas.

"Really?" I groaned.

He smiled and started giggling.

"I better get changed." I said holding him out as I went back to the living room and gave him back to Ma. She and everyone else (Except Uncle Isaac) started laughing once they saw my shirt.

"Get'ch ya did he?" laughed Aunt Sophie. Then Isaac started laughing, I figured he knew what that meant.

"Yes. I better go change." I replied.

As I walked past the front door the doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes and went to answer it. I was ready to pass out after I opened the door. It was none other than James Augustus Carson!


	3. Chapter 3

**James Augustus**

"Hey." He greeted trying not to laugh, "I take it I came at a bad time."

"Little bit." I replied, "I said three pm tomorrow. It's six pm."

"I had to give this back to you right away." He held out my tiny wallet I through my Debt Card and some cash in when I'm headed out somewhere.

I took it. "I guess it fell out of my pocket when I dropped that piece of paper."

"On purpose." James pointed out.

"It was not!"

"You have a thing for me. Admit it."

"Do not!" I wanted to scream.

He held up his hands in front of him. "Okay, I surrender."

"Who is it Anna?" asked my Da coming to the front door. When he saw James he held out a hand. "I'm Anna's father."

He only used the term father when it came to guys. Protective.

James took his hand and shook. "James Augustus Carson. Pleasure to meet you sir."

"We were just about to have dinner. While you're here won't you join us?"

"I don't know. I just came to return a dropped wallet." James replied.

"Then that's a yes. Come in."

I rolled my eyes and moved out of the way. James came in rolling his tank behind him, his eyes gleaming in a teasing way.

I then ran upstairs to change into a pale orange sorbet t-shirt and an everyday navy skirt that went a little blow my knees. I looked in the mirror that showed all of me when I stepped back. Once I determined that I looked good enough for some guy to think I thought about myself enough to make sure I didn't look like a hobo I went downstairs and everyone was at the table. I noticed that the twins weren't sitting at the table so I assumed they must have been in their car seats sleeping in the living room.

After I sat down in my spot everyone started eating, I said a little prayer. Before Sarah died she talked only of heaven and how she hoped to go there and that I would go there someday too. My parents aren't Christians, but they let me be me. So while I pray before meals they go ahead and eat.

After I finished, I grabbed my fork and joined them.

"So, James, what are your hobbies?" my Da asked.

"Video games, reading, watching TV. Writing though is the biggest. I'm currently working on a story that I'm hoping with blow people's minds even after I'm gone." He replied smirking.

"You write stories?" I asked suddenly interested.

"Oh no, never ending conversation!" gasped Uncle Isaac.

Everyone laughed, all but James.

"I write stories myself." I explained.

James nodded and smirked again. What is it with him? He messed with his cannula, I don't know why he did it. Maybe to remind himself of something? I didn't know.

"What's your story?" he asked.

"It's about these two kids who fall through a hole and end up in this world that needs saving." I replied simply. "Yours?"

"A dystopian novel. This guy has a wife and two kids, right? Well, aliens come and bomb Earth. Soon enough humans become slaves to these aliens and this man and his two kids along with other people willing to risk their lives fight against the aliens and try to save the planet!" he replied with a goofy smile on his face.

"Sounds like something I would read, if I could." Uncle Isaac joked.

"Or Augustus." commented Da.

"Who's Augustus?" asked James.

The room went silent for a moment. Then I replied. "My dad."

"Oh." Said James not wanting to say anything more if it seemed to offend my Ma and Da, "The problem is that my story is at a crossroads. I could have this character die or I could have this character die, I could kill them both, but that would be cruel."

"But that's the best part of being an author!" I replied, "You can be cruel and a murder without going to jail!"

James laughed, "True, Anna Felicity. I have read plenty of books where I want to kill the author and I don't want people to think of me of the author they want to kill for eliminating this character."

"I can relate. There's this author who is the king of Terrible Endings. Peter Van Houten, his book is one of my favorites even though the ending is terrible, yet true at the same time." I said as my family just watched us having a conversation they couldn't (and didn't want to) join.

"Are there aliens or Jedi in this book?" James asked.

"No."

"What's so great about it then?"

"I'm named after the main character." I answered.

"Then I must read this book between doing school work, chores, and writing my own book." He took a bite out of the pasta Ma made, "This is amazing Mrs. Lancaster."

"Thank you James. I'm glad you enjoy it." She replied.

Then we talked about basketball. My dad used to play but then came to loathe the game. I still like it. I was even on a team myself, we were on Spring break though, but I still practiced in the driveway. My team had won two game that season, I always got the ball before the time was up because no one trusted me to make a basket not under pressure.

"Can we talk?" asked James getting up.

"Sure." I replied heading to my room.

"I don't think so." Said my Da standing up, "The backyard's all yours."

I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness and led the way to our backyard. Once James and I were out there we sat in some lawn chairs and watched the sunset.

"You're not going to tell me you really stole my wallet and returned it to look like I dropped it, are you?" I asked.

"You don't trust me?" asked James pretending to look hurt.

"You could be a psychopathic serial killer for all I know."

"I think all serial killers are psychopaths." He replied, "There's always that possibility Anna Felicity, but if you assumed that then why did you invite me?"

"You're so full of it James Augustus." I said, pretending to be annoyed.

"Tomorrow, maybe you could come over to my house and help me decide which character I should kill off?" he suggested.

"Don't I need to read the story and get to know and love the character first?" I asked.

"Simple, you can read it while I do some of my school work and then you decide, I write that character's death while you do some school work if you have any, and then we can hang out."

"The characters in our stories must have an end." I replied and he laughed, "Okay, I'll come by say three?"

"It's a date." Said James slowly getting up, "I should go before my parents think I left here and went to a wild party."

"They think that?"

"No, but you never know. Parents worry, and when they worry you know they love us." James replied, "I called them while you were in your room changing to tell them. My curfew's ten so if I'm late they'll worry."

Finally, I found someone who cared and loved their parents. There are some girls on my team who feel the same way about parents I do, but they are friends with the other girls who loathe their parents. I was sort of the outsider. I brought my laptop to practice to work on my story, and when I didn't work on my story I read _AIA_.

I walked with James inside and then to his car. Before he got in he held out his hand. I shook it.

"Tell your grandmother I said thank you for the wonderful meal." He said getting into his car. Then he shut the door and drove off. I stood there and watched him leave.

I was a quick thinker. He must have realized that Ma and Da weren't really my parents and were my grandparents when I mentioned my dad.

I went inside and found my Ma and Aunt Sophie in the kitchen cleaning up.

"There you are." said Ma, "I was just commenting to your Aunt Sophie who nice James is."

"Yeah," I said sitting at the table and drinking some water from my cup. "He's okay."

"Okay?" said Aunt Sophie, "Girl's your ages would find him hot! Delicious even! His manners are also nice."

"I don't think you've noticed, but I'm not most girls." I ran my pointer finger around the edge of my cup.

"Maybe not, but I can tell you like him." teased Ma.

"Don't you have bigger mom things to worry about?" I asked leaving the room.

I wasn't mad at her, just a little annoyed that she thinks I'm such a lonely soul that I need a boyfriend. I'm not that lonely, I have my family and friends over an authors' website that I talk to about my stories and my obsessions. Sure, it may not be the best to just have friends over the internet (Dangerous even), but this is a safe site. Also, I had Peter Van Houten, drunk loser or not he still wrote an amazing book.


	4. Chapter 4

**The News**

The next morning, I was fast asleep dreaming of what should happen in my story next. Thank Goodness for Spring Break starting a little early! It started the day before (Thursday) so I had a week of freedom and school to catch up on and get ahead of. So I could sleep in until lunch, but I never did. The one time I did my Ma took me to the hospital to make sure I was okay. I guess she was worried I'd get Cancer like my mom had. I tried not to sleep in so she wouldn't worry, but it was hard. My bed was just so damn comfy!

That morning though, my Ma shook me awake. I glanced at my alarm clock, eight in the morning. On days I didn't have school I enjoyed sleeping in until nine if I could help it.

"If you're here to tell me I have a doctor's appointment then I'm going back to sleep." I moaned through the comforter over my head.

"Anna, guess what I read online." She said sounding excited.

"It's one of my favorite celebrities' birthday?"

"No."

"A new recipe for cheesy pasta only with garlic?"

"No."

"A movie about love and sex is coming into theaters?"

"No. Well, yes, but no." she said still shaking my shoulder, "Anna, Peter Van Houten is writing another book and he's coming here when it comes into stores."

I sat up and pushed away the comforter. "You're bluffing."

"No Anna, I'm not. Just look it up on your laptop!" she said before leaving.

I wanted to fall back asleep, but I grabbed my laptop and googled it. Sure enough, he was working on a sequel to _AIA_ that takes place in Amsterdam. I looked in my Mom's diary for that entry she wrote about Peter Van Houten writing a sequel.

**_Dear Anna,_**

**_ If you are reading this entry it means you've read _**_AIA__** and want to know what Peter Van Houten said about writing a sequel. He said no, let's just say that. He plans to write nothing else, not a sequel or another book entirely different. **_

**_ Let me just say that I was glad to hear this news (Van Houten told Gus in an e-mail through his assistant Lidewij Vliegenthart) because I wouldn't have to worry about if the sequel would be as great as the first book. You, of course, may wish for a sequel and that's fine. Everyone has a different opinion. Like I'm fine with how the book ends and finds it truthful, whereas Gus hates it, thinks it's evil, and that ending your book mid-sentence violates a contract between the author and the reader._**

**_ If he should _**_finally__** write a sequel after I'm gone and you're my age then don't let me stop you from reading it! Just because I'm fine without a sequel doesn't mean you or anyone else has to. **_

**_ -Hazel Grace Lancaster._**

So yeah, that's what she thought. I began to wonder what the sequel would have. I read the news site to see if it had anything, but it didn't say anything about what the book was about, just that it would come out three months from now and that Peter Van Houten had been secretly working on it until someone let the cat out of the bag.

I went to my e-mail and e-mailed James.

**You better read **_AIA_**. Peter Van Houten's writing a sequel! **

** -The Author.**

He replied minutes later.

**I got it from the library just ten minutes ago. Good things come**

** to those who wait! I can-however-read it while you're here this**

** afternoon instead of doing school work. I've finished most of it**

** anyway.**

** -Prince Awesomeness.**

I then replied, rolling my eyes. I got excited as I typed.

**Sounds good. Just don't keep asking me if I like your story so far.**

** -The Author.**

He replied.

**I won't if you won't.**

I replied.

**Okay.**

He replied with,

**Okay.**

I then said.

**OMG James! Stop flirting with me!**

He then replied.

**Okay? **

I replied.

**In my family, 'Okay' is a very flirtatious word.**

He replied.

**Sorry.**

I shut down my computer after logging out of my e-mail and then rolled out of bed and threw on a long brown skirt (One I only wear when I go out) and a hot pink polo. Then I grabbed my purse and went to the kitchen. Ma was working on pizza omelets.

"Sleep well?"

"Until you shook me awake yes." I replied sitting at my spot at our small table.

Ma and Da had put in a leaf or two for when Aunt Sophie and Uncle Isaac came for dinner.

"I just thought you'd be excited to hear that." She replied.

"I was, but I would have been more so if I wasn't waken up." I replied as she brought over my plate then felt my head. "Ma."

"I just want to make sure you're not getting a fever." She replied as I prayed.

Once I was done I cut a bite with my fork. "I'm not, it's just that the typical teenager requires eight to ten hours of sleep on a non-school day."

She rolled her eyes. "As you point out day in and day out, you're not a typical teenager."

"Actually, I _am_ a typical teenager. I'm just not a typical teenage _girl._" I stated. 

"You're too much." She rolled her eyes, "Have plans?"

I took a bite and swallowed. "I'm headed to the bookstore and just gonna drive around."

She raised an eyebrow, suspicions. I never really got out of the house on my own, I was usually forced to get out of the house (Except on Sundays, I went to mass in the morning and drove myself of course.).

"You wanted me to get out of the house, so that's what I'm doing." I replied standing up after eating half of my omelet.

Okay, maybe I wasn't eating as much as I should have, but I just wasn't that hungry. I didn't do it to freak out my mom-who was already worried that I was on my way to Cancer.

"Don't you want to finish eating first?" she asked as I grabbed the keys off the hook.

"Nah, I'll be fine."

"Anna, please just eat."

"Mom."

"Honey, just eat." She urged.

I rolled my eyes and sat back down and stomached down the rest of my omelet. After I was down I got back up and went out to the car. After I got in I started it and drove to this little bookstore where people can sell their old books. I found a lot of old books that I bought but rarely read, I was (a) worried they would fall apart as soon as I opened them and (b) I like to think of them as gems.

It was also an ice-cream store that made the best milkshakes. I usually bought a milkshake and read some books that looked interesting, then I'd find one I wanted to buy and look around some more for some nice (By nice I mean hanging by the cover) old books and then head to the cashier.

When I pulled up in the parking lot I got out and locked the car. Then I walked inside and saw Kaitlyn. She had the English accent that she's had for ages, she ran the place and spent her time helping people find the perfect book and help them check out. She said-and I quote, "Matching people up with books is like Matchmaking. Only you don't get dumped and heartbroken in the end. I wanted to say that wasn't technically true, but I just let her stick with it.

"Anna, darling." She said smiling and coming from behind the ice-cream counter to hug me. She always pronounced my name like Ana, but I didn't mind.

"Hi Kaitlyn." I said giving her a hug, "How's life?"

"Same old same old." She replied smiling, "It's good to see my best customer again. What has it been? Four weeks?"

"Five, actually." I replied.

"The usual?" she asked going back behind the counter.

"I just had breakfast a little bit ago. Give my three hours."

"You really plan to be here that long?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?"

She laughed and got back to work. I went over to this little circle table by a window deep within the aisle of books. I thought of it as my private place, no one ever sat there. Not even couples who wanted to sit at a comfy table for two. So you can imagine my surprise to find a man there.

He had white hair and wore these brown dress pants with a matching blazer and a baby blue dress shirt. He looked like he once had a white beard but then shaved it. He just sat there, writing in this leather bound notebook. He was somewhat plump, but by the looks of his clothes he must have lost a lot of weight.

He turned and looked at me. "What are you staring at?" he snapped/growled.

"Nothing." I replied.

He must have been a writer. The way he sat there observing people and then would write something in his notebook. He would also look up and stare at the ceiling mouthing something to himself, trying to find the right word to describe something or someone. Since the area was quiet, anyone could sit there and write in peace with being bothered by other people, interrupting the train of thought.

"Are you just going to stand there staring like you've never seen a man before?" he snapped again.

"I wasn't staring, I was observing." I stated.

He put down his pen on top of his notebook. "Is that so? What were you observing?"

He motioned for me to sit in the chair across from him. I sat down and set my purse on the edge of the top.

"Well, you seem to like the peace and quiet so you choose to sit here where you can think. You looked up at the ceiling mouthing words, obviously describing a character or figuring out the perfect word to use to describe something." I replied.

"Hm, young writer eh?" he said with a hint of some sort of accent.

"Yes." I replied pulling out my own spiral bound notebook and mechanical pencil.

I wrote once sentence before he interrupted my train of thought.

"You look familiar." He stated.

"I get that a lot."

"No, you really look familiar."

I rolled my eyes and just got back to writing.

"You didn't by chance ever go to Amsterdam did you?" he asked.

I looked up. "Nope. I've heard about it, but I don't travel much."

As he looked down at his notebook I heard him mutter, "Hazel?"

"That was my mom's name." I always said that when someone was either talking about the name or the color.

"Did her name finish with Grace Lancaster?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

Okay, now things were getting creepy. I wondered whether to run or just ignore the question. Me being the curious person I am I did neither.

"You knew my mom?"

He laughed. "Once, I wasn't what she thought I was."

I put the piece together pretty easy. "Peter Van Houten?"

"Told you about me did she?"

"Well, _wrote_ anyway. She died after I was born."

""Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see"." Peter Van Houten quoted.

"Rene Magritte." I said remembering hearing that quote. I had no idea what it had to do with my mom dying after I was born, but I didn't care.

"So you know that quote." Said Peter not really asking.

""We must not fear the daylight just because it almost always illuminates a miserable world"." I quoted in reply.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Anna Lancaster."

"Wrong."

"What?"

"By your age-sixteen right?" I nodded. "And by your looks your father must have been the illustrious Augustus Waters. If so, then your name is Anna Waters."

"I guess." I replied. I never thought of myself as Waters. Although (I didn't tell Ma or Da about this), when I was baptized a Christian I had them put on my certificate Anna Felicity Waters.

"Pleasure to meet you." He said shaking my hand, "I'm sure what Hazel wrote was what you were expecting."

"I don't know what I was expecting." I replied. I really didn't. I had always thought about how my mom would rather die (Even though she was already dead) than have me meet the King of Disappointment. So I never really imagined meeting Peter Van Houten.

"Well, after the death of Augustus Waters Hazel had said I should get back to writing-"

"After you broke into her/her mom's car." I remembered for the diary.

"Technically, it was unlocked." He stated. I rolled my eyes, "Anyway, after I got out I went back to my hotel. Months later I tried to think of something to write about, but I had lost my inspiration you could say. Soon, I heard word from a friend of Hazel named Isaac that she had died. So I went to her funeral and I was hit with such inspiration that I worked for years to try and get this story right. One year the beginning wasn't right, next it was right then it wasn't. Everything was messed up.

"A couple months ago I had fixed it and called my publishers saying how a book was on its way. So now the whole world knows."

_"So glad my mom's death inspired you."_ I thought to myself sarcastically.

"Now I remember! You must have been the child Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster was holding and would hand off to Mr. and Mrs. Waters every once and a while."

"I guess so." I replied, "So you came to the USA early? My mom-"

"Mrs. Lancaster."

"Yes. Anyway, she heard something about you coming to the USA when the book came out."

"Yes, well. I needed to get away from all the phone calls I was getting back in Amsterdam. There's also a part in my book where someone comes here to Indianapolis. I needed to visit to get the feel of it." He replied writing down what looked to be a quick note, "And no, I cannot tell you the plot."

"I wasn't going to ask. I myself like to drive people nuts by wondering."

He laughed, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you are nothing like your mother. Though you do have your moments."

"Thanks." I said taking the compliment.

Then he stood up. "I must get back to my hotel. I have a lot of writing to get down and not much time."

""It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop"." I said quoting Confucius.

He left with a smile. I couldn't help but think how weird it was, me meeting a no longer drunken ass that my parents used to admire then came to loathe (Yes, I use that term a lot). The same man who taught them that some infinities are simply lager than other infinities.

"Who was that?" asked Kaitlyn coming over with a try of small paper cups with some shake in them.

"An author my parents used to like." I replied, "What's that?"

"Free samples of my own invention. Strawberry ice-cream mixed with vanilla bean into a delicious shake." She said holding out the tray so I could take one.

I did and took a sip out of the tiny blue straw. My eyes widened. "Kaitlyn, best invention of yours yet!"

"Thanks." She replied smiling and she went over to some of the other costumers.

I wrote a little more and then looked through the more modern book to see if there were any I liked, I found two. Then I went over to where they kept their old book and found nothing. As I walked past this stak of new book I found one filled with quotes for different things.

I bought a medium milkshake of Kaitlyn's invention she called "Mid-Summer's Night Dream" and sipped on it while reading through the book of quotes.

_"It's very interesting, if you look at a study that was done by the Brookings Institute back in 2009, they determined that if Americans do three things, they can avoid poverty. Three things. Work, graduate from high school, and get married before you have children."-Rick Santorum._

That was under the Graduation section.

_"The most important thing is for you to enjoy your life-to be happy-it's all that matters."-Audrey Hepburn._

That one was under the Life section.

_"As a teenager I was so insecure. I was the tip of guy that never fitted in because he never dared to choose. I was convinced I had absolutely no talent at all. For nothing. And that thought took away all my ambition too."-Johnny Depp._

That one was in the Teen section. The teen quotes made me smile and laugh.

_"Every heart that has beat strongly and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world, and bettered the tradition of mankind."-Robert Louis Stevenson._

That was in the Inspirational section and one of my favorites. It reminded me how my mom never wanted to be admired by millions of people like my dad did, all that mattered to her was to have people who loved her. This quote made me think of that, and she did leave something hopeful behind in the world, me.

I finally paid for the books I was getting and then drove to a place I never told my Ma and Da I was going to, my parents' grave. After I parked I walked to the spot, there were their stones, side by side.

I know it was probably stupid, but I liked to be alone and talk to them. I couldn't talk to them in my room 'cause it would look weird and we had really thin walls so my Ma would think I was starting to feel depressed.

"Hey, guys." I said aloud casually, "So, um…I met Van Houten today. He's cleaned up. You both inspired him. Well, your deaths did anyway."

A brief wind popped up and then left as quickly as it had come. I wondered if they could hear me. I didn't believe that Heaven was a place where people rode unicorns and lived in clouds and played harps. I believed it was more like a place where there were normal looking buildings only without the graffiti and had a happier look to them and everything was bright.

"I'd love to take more, but Ma's probably gonna get worried if I don't get home soon." I said looking at my watch. It was one-o-clock. I had two hours before I was supposed to meet James at his house, "See you later."

Then I left and rove straight on home, deciding whether or not to tell Ma about meeting Cleaned Up Van Houten.


End file.
